Just Around the Bend
by AfricanChieftess
Summary: The newlyweds are going hiking!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: all creative rights to the One Tree Hill characters belong to their original creator(s)!**

**This is going to be a short multi-fic, featuring only Nathan and Haley. I hope you like it...  
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* * *

><p>"We have everything, right?" she throws at him as she closes the front door.<p>

"Yes! Can we please go? It's a bit of a drive to get there."

He's standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking up and waiting for her to reappear.

"You're sure? First Aid kit? Camera? Matches? Enough food? Water?"

She walks slowly down the stairs, emphasizing each question with every step she takes.

He groans loudly. "Yes! And you did most of the packing! It's not like we're going off to the desert. We can buy more food on the way if it makes you happy."

She pauses on the second-last step so that she can be at eye level with him, hands on her hips. "Nathan, if you're telling me everything is there and then I find out we are missing something important, I will be very angry with you."

Her eyes are narrowed, as if searching for the absolutely truthful answer in the baby blues of his eyes.

He thinks she looks adorable.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, he sweeps her off her feet and puts her down on the graveled lot.

"If I've forgotten something and I remember on the way, I'll buy it in one of the many stores between here and there without letting you know, okay?"

She narrows her eyes slightly at him. "Okay. Just make sure I don't find out."

"Double sure. I know how mean you can be when it comes to silent treatmentizing."

It kills him when she's giving him the cold shoulder, wondering if she'll choke him in his sleep from pent-up fury.

She kisses him quickly and moves away from his arms.

"Let's go, then!" she says as she circles to the passenger side.

* * *

><p>Camping isn't her idea of fun. A hike is not even remotely close to an ideal adventure-date. It sounds grueling and painful, and she's terribly nervous.<p>

"Won't we get lost up there? I've been reading about it and it sounds…"

She turns to look at him. "It sounds a little scary. There are people who've gotten lost up there."

Although nothing popped up for this particular park they are going to, she read other stories about other hikers getting lost in other forests. It was quite alarming.

"Don't be scared. Besides, it's not like you're going alone. And we're only going for the day."

She sighs. "I know. I'm just not a nature girl. I'm a homebody."

He laughs, reaching for her clammy hand, his eyes on the road, rubbing the back of her hand reassuringly with his thumb.

"Just think of this as an adventure. One of those things you're doing before you're old, brittle, toothless and senile."

Chuckling nervously, she repeatedly squeezes his hand.

"I'm telling you, Hales. You will love the waterfall."

She looks at him. "You talk as if you've been here before."

"I have. I didn't tell you?"

She shakes her head. "No. I thought we were coming here as two blind mice!"

He laughs. "My dad took me when I was fourteen. It's one of the few moments I can say were good between him and me. It seems like a lifetime ago, though."

Dan Scott can be likened to the definition of poison. He's a man with a sprinkling of everything deemed unworthy as a personality trait: ruthless, pushy, arrogant…just to name a few.

Surprisingly, he wasn't a bastard on their hiking trip, unlike the father-son golfing trip that he coerced Nathan to participate in a few months ago, where they were at each other's throats before even crossing the Tree Hill border. He was such a nut that Nathan lost his sanity at the fourth hole and just came home. Alone.

She nods understandingly, rubbing his arm. "I can't picture you hiking, though. Sorry, baby."

He looks sideways at her and grins. "I'm no expert but we can do this. Together, right?"

"Always."

* * *

><p>When he parks the car, he looks over at his wife. He still can't believe that he's married while in high school. He can't believe she said yes to a screw-up like him.<p>

Her head is lying against the window, leaving her silky smooth neck exposed. There's a sprinkle of freckles on the side of her neck that looks like a pattern in the constellation Orion. Her long eyelashes are a dark contrast against her creamy skin, her chest softly heaving as she breathes in and out. If he watches any longer, they'll never get on the trail. He gently shakes her.

"We're here, Hales."

She groans.

He rubs his knuckles against her cheek. "Babe. We're here."

"Can I sleep a little longer?" she mumbles.

He laughs quietly, running a finger along her jaw. "We should get going before it gets too hot. And it would be better to be done before dark. We're already late."

She opens her eyes slowly and looks around sleepily. Stifling a yawn, she says, "Okay."

She slept away some of that nervousness, but she's still a little terrified.

They collect their backpacks, walking hand-in-hand towards the visitor's centre.

"You know, you didn't have to wear shorts."

She adjusts the backpack's straps on her shoulders. "If I'm going hiking, I might as well look the part. I have jeans in my bag, anyway."

"Regular Girl Scout, aren't you?" he says amusedly. She looks so cute in her dark green ensemble.

"Brownie. Why do you always forget?"

"What's the difference?"

"We wore brown."

"And the others?"

"I don't know."

"But you had the same mottos and whatnot."

"I don't know but I guess Girl Scouts were older."

"What do you know?"

"I know we wore brown."

He laughs and she pulls her Ravens hat lower on her head. The sun is hot out here.

"How hot will it get?"

She's already feeling the heat underneath her lightweight hoodie.

"It's cooler in the woods."

"Hang on a sec."

She drags the backpack off her shoulders and holds it between her legs, unzipping the hoodie and tying it around her waist. Removing the cap, she combs her hair with her fingers, pulling it back in a ponytail with the elastic band on her wrist.

"Okay. Let's go."

The backpack may be small but it's a little heavy. She came prepared.

He rolls his eyes. "Need make-up, too?"

She slaps the hat back on, resuming their walk to the visitor's centre.

"I was hot! What was I supposed to do? Pass out from the heat before we've even began?"

"At least we would have begun. It's almost noon. All your bathroom breaks on the way were just too much."

He halts and turns back to her. "Were you stalling?"

She gasps, a little too loudly. "Of course not! I want to do this!"

Liar, liar, pants on fire. Hanging by the tongue on a telephone wire.

He narrows his eyes at her for a moment. "Sure."

He's noticed she prolongs the time before doing something she really doesn't want to do.

Selective procrastination. Like postponing a basketball lesson with him for a gym credit she clearly requires, waiting until the very last minute and opting to do it granny-style.

"Honest! How far is this visitor's centre, anyway?" she asks, taking his hand.

"Just around the bend."

They walk in companionable silence, their boots crunching on the gravel the only sounds between them.

* * *

><p>"Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. How can I help you?" asks the Park Ranger.<p>

"Hi. We want to see Laurel Falls," Nathan tells him as he throws an arm around Haley's shoulders.

"Please fill this form for your permit."

He hands them a paper, Haley completing it quickly. The ranger clicks on his keyboard, stamps it and hands it back to her.

"Keep that with you at all times. Here is your Park Trail map. Laurel Falls is about one and a half miles that way and it follows a paved trail, so you won't get lost," he says in a monotone, pointing to their right.

"All wildlife and plants are protected by law. Failure to abide by these rules and regulations is a violation that would charge you, either monetary or jail time. Please beware of wild animals, stay on the marked trails and enjoy the Great Smoky Mountains National Park."

Haley's arm around Nathan's waist is tight as they walk out of the visitor's centre.

"You okay?" he asks her.

Her eyes are wide as she looks up at him. "Wild animals?"

Hearing it from the Park Ranger makes it a little real. She'll be ripped to shreds by merciless animals. She can't run to save her life. Or can she?

"It's a national park, Hales. There are animals."

Her lips clamp together. "I don't think I can do this. Can we go home? I could go to the library. Or take a shift at the café. What was I thinking? I can't even garden, Nathan! Remember that violet you brought me that died after two days? Two days!"

She's panicking. "Honey, I can't d—"

"Babe." He places his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently. "Breathe."

She takes in quick sharp breaths.

"Slower."

She breathes in and out slowly until she's calmer.

"Good. Listen to me. We will not be attacked by wild animals. Got that?"

"But he—"

"It's just standard procedure to inform visitors about the animals. I heard the same speech from a different guy three years ago. The animals are nowhere close to the trail. We'll be fine, okay? Okay?"

"Okay."

He takes her hand, kissing the back of it. "Okay. Let's do this, Mrs. Scott. Ready?"

She breathes out one more time and gives his hand a squeeze. "Ready."

* * *

><p>"Be careful. It's a little steep and I don't want you hurting yourself."<p>

"Don't you want a reason to be all macho and carry me?"

He chuckles. "I prefer carrying you when I know you'll be screaming out in pleasure, not pain."

She swats his back. "Hang on a minute. I want a picture of these pretty flowers. Can you hand me the camera?"

He stops and turns toward her. "You want a picture of a bush?"

"A very pretty bush. See?"

She gestures towards the colorful shrubs of purple and yellow. "I've never seen them before."

"Probably because you don't live in the wild."

"Oh, hush. Can you take a couple?"

He takes out the camera and snaps several pictures of the shrubs, and then of Haley standing next to them.

"Why would you pose in front of bushes? Are you an aspiring gardener? I thought you said you can't even garden?"

"Just take the pictures!"

In one, she's absolutely freaked out about a bee buzzing around her, when it's in fact a fly. It's his favourite.

"Let me see. These are so going up on my page."

"Please don't tag me, Hales."

She punches his arm playfully. "Are you going to divorce me if I do?"

"Now that's an idea."


	2. Chapter 2

"Is this a family trail, too?"

"I think so."

"Which means there are no animals close by."

It would be illogical to have a family trail through a wild animal-infested area.

Nathan knows she's scared. She needs reassurance.

"Nope, no wild animals."

She's relieved. She needed that.

"Don't you want to take any pictures?" she asks him.

He's only been taking pictures of her and whatever she asks him to.

"Not really."

"Oh, come on! What kind of wife would I be posting pictures of only myself on a hiking trip I supposedly took with my husband?"

"A perfect wife."

She giggles.

"Let's ask these guys to take our picture. Scowl if you want to but I just want you in some of them."

They stop the couple with three screaming children in tow. The woman gives up asking Nathan to smile after the fourth picture.

Haley nudges him with her shoulder as she looks through the pictures after the family is gone. "Did you actually have to scowl through all of them?"

"Hey, you're the one who told me to scowl."

"You weren't supposed to take it literally. Just look at this. You look like you're in pain. Delete."

He looks over her shoulder. "Look at that."

"And in this one you look like you're about to have a stroke. Delete. Delete. Nathan! There are no pictures here where I can even say I had a great time with my husband! My blog followers will be disappointed!"

"Peyton, you mean?"

"Among others."

Not really. Only her and Peyton have blogs, each a follower of the other. Peyton talks about her art, Haley about her music and life as a married high schooler. Nathan gets a mention in every post; some good, some not so good. Mostly good.

"Your face looks weird in all of them. I swear we're taking more until you smile, you hear me? It was your idea to come here in the first place. Don't pretend to be having an awful time when you've been giddy about the trip for weeks."

She's a tidy five-foot-four and he's six-two, but she's damn scary when he asks for it.

He smiles through the pictures a different couple takes of them. He's just not a fan of organized photographs like she is; he prefers those that he doesn't have to strike a pose for.

Snap. Snap. Snap.

"Much better. See?" Haley says. "I think his wife was giving you googly eyes. Or was I seeing my own things?"

She grimaces. "Which would be weird since she's as old as your mom."

"You were seeing your own things," he replies, patting her ass and walking past her. She wasn't; the wife really was giving him googly eyes.

She's still flipping through the images as she strolls behind him. "Are…are those bunny ears in all of them? Nathan!"

* * *

><p>They've been taking their time on the paved trail to the waterfall. It's been fun for the teens.<p>

They carved out their names on a tree, despite Haley's protests on how illegal it was; they played Tag for a while in the forest off the trail, ending up giggling like school kids on the ground; they took goofy pictures of themselves popping out behind trees and bushes; they spent ten minutes making out under a large tree after that.

It's taken them longer to get to the falls but when they finally do, it's a spectacular sight.

There aren't that many people around, but the few that are there are cooling their feet off in the water. The sheer beauty of the majestic white falls takes Haley's breath away.

"It's beautiful!"

She throws her arms around him and kisses him soundly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she says between kisses.

"I knew you'd like it. Come on."

They use the bridge to descend to the bottom of the waterfall. Looking up at it, they're both in awe.

"How high is it?" she shouts above its roar.

"Sixty feet!"

There are droplets of water on their faces, hair getting darker.

"Are we allowed to swim?"

Nathan grins at her. "We can, but I'll do you one better. Be careful not to slip, though, okay?"

She nods, grinning right back. "Okay."

She follows him along the edge of the waterfall towards the mountain. They climb over the smooth rocks until Nathan finally stops at an opening behind the waterfall.

"It's still here," he says triumphantly.

"What is?"

He leads her into a cave, the rushing sound of the large waterfall echoing within.

"This. What do you think?"

She looks back out through the curtain of water. The pounding waters cascading in front of her obstruct the view, but she can see where they were standing a few minutes ago.

"My God…Wow…How did you know about this place?" She drops her backpack, gazing through the waterfall lens in amazement.

"I did some exploring when I was here. I found some people so I didn't get to stay for long."

She looks below them, her legs shaking a bit at the thought of slipping and going over the edge. She has a small problem with extreme heights.

The water meets violently at the rocky base in a glorious whiteness, sounding like loud, crashing waves that hit a beach shore.

She steps back and turns to him. "It's so beautiful! Can we take pictures?"

Her voice echoes off the walls of the cave.

She loves pictures. Mostly pictures of her and Nathan, a documentation of their life together.

They take pictures of the waterfall, careful not to slide on the slippery rocks. Clothes and hair are wet, but they don't care.

Somehow, they find themselves dancing to their own screechy, horrendous rendition of "Right Round" behind that waterfall, always careful about the slick surface. He thoroughly enjoys watching her shake her waist and swing her hips round and round; she enjoys watching what her every movement seems to do to him and laughs at his rapping skills.

They're breathless and giggly when it's over. She reaches for his waist, her breathing hard and fast like his. Their hot tongues suck on each other, probing each other's entrances and invading each other's mouths.

Haley pushes herself closer to him, groaning as her erect breasts rub against his wet t-shirt.

"Want to do some exploring with me?" she whispers erotically after she bites his plump lower lip.

"Hell, yeah…"

He is rock hard against her thigh, his erection pushing against his trousers. He's never felt attracted to any woman so much as he does Haley.

Her hand briefly brushes over him and he groans. "F—"

She cuts him off with a kiss, her tongue like fire, forcing his mouth gently open. He moans into her mouth and she shudders.

"Wait…" he breathes out.

She pulls away reluctantly. "You don't want to?"

They're both panting hard, their breaths coming in short and hot against each other's lips.

"Believe me," he rubs himself against her, "I want to."

"Then what's the problem?" she asks hoarsely. She's on the pill.

He points with his chin to the cave's entrance.

"Oh."

He places a sound kiss to the base of her throat, then grabs their backpack straps with one hand and takes her hand in the other, leading her further into the cave, where the ground is flatter and dryer.

On the far end there is a small aquamarine swimming hole, and despite the dampness of the cave, neither is fazed by the chill.

He drops the bags and turns to her. His eyes are smoldering.

"Strip."

It's said softly but firmly.

She unties the hoodie from around her waist.

"Your turn," she counters quietly.

He reaches for the hem of his shirt. At the sight of his wet, toned stomach, she licks her lips.

She removes her boots and socks. He does the same.

Her belt is next. He has no belt; he pops open the button of his trousers.

She raises an eyebrow.

He smirks.

Her tank top goes next. He slides his fly open, leaving his pants on.

She smiles, wiggling out of her shorts slowly, shaking her hips while at it. He feels so damn lucky to have a wife who wears sexy underwear on a hiking trip.

His trousers are too tight around him. In one swift motion, they're off. Monogrammed briefs, a gift from her. _Haley was here_. He reciprocated with boy shorts for her. _Nathan's girl_.

She swallows. The bulge is unmistakable.

Reaching for the back of her bra, she shrugs the straps off her shoulders, smirking when he takes in a deep breath.

His eyes don't waver from hers as he slides his briefs off. Parts of her have a heartbeat of their own already.

He crooks his finger to her, motioning her closer. She takes a step forward. He puts up a finger, she stops, and points to her lace panties.

She hooks her thumbs in the red trim and slides them off, hips swaying seductively. He takes one step towards her, his arm encircling her waist.

"Sexy," he whispers huskily in her ear.

She shivers.

She steps into the middle of his parted legs, putting her arms around his neck. She kisses his jaw, her lips lingering on his skin a little longer.

Nipping at his neck, she asks, "Now what?"

She moans when he pulls her closer.

"Guess."


	3. Chapter 3

After an hour and a half behind the waterfall, they finally emerge. They had a lunch of water and huge sandwiches they bought at a diner off the highway. And then they did some more exploring.

"Home?" he asks as they walk towards the paved trail.

The mid-afternoon sun shines hot and bright, warming her bare arms. "It's still early. We can walk a while on the trail."

"Are you sure?"

He brushes away the small leafs in her now-curly hair. He likes the little curls that form after she takes a shower or a swim, especially the baby hairs at the nape of her neck. She hates the bird's nest-like mess it creates while untangling it.

"Yeah." She draws her hat over her head. "How about going up the mountain? It could be fun."

He looks towards the mountain. "If we follow the trail, we can get to the fire tower."

This is news to her.

"There's a fire tower? I didn't read that in my research! I want to see!" she claps enthusiastically.

He laughs as he crosses over the bridge to get to the trail.

"Okay, so we're going to head on this way straight until we get to it," he says, pointing to the left.

"How high up are we going?" she enquires as they climb through a canopy of pink shrubs.

"Total of six miles."

Haley gulps. Six. She's never even walked that far on flat land.

* * *

><p>Nathan turns back sharply at Haley's scream. She's leaning against a tree, staring at the ground, seemingly frozen.<p>

"Haley!"

"N-Nathan…"

"Baby, what is it?"

"Th-there's s-s-something…"

"Is it a snake?"

Her knees are shaking.

"No, but it's really big. Will it bite me!?"

Whatever it is, it looks menacing and poisonous. It will probably spit in her eyes, blinding her for life. She'll have to get a guide dog and a cane, and she'll never see Nathan's face again.

He holds out his hand to her. "Just back away slowly. I'm right here, okay?"

She looks so petrified. Can it smell the fear in her?

"I-I can't…"

"You can. I'm right here."

She shakes her head. "Oh my God…"

The creature is looking at her closely, its tongue slithering out of its scaly mouth. It takes a step forward and she screams again.

"Na—"

"Hales, listen to me. I know you're terrified but I'm right here. Just walk away slowly and then run really fast, okay?"

"Don't go," she whimpers.

"I'm not going anywhere," he says.

She takes one step away, and another, and another, reaching for his hand. When she's grabbed it, she releases it and takes off, so fast as if she's stepping on hot coals.

"Hales…"

He's never seen her run like that.

"Haley!"

Finally, he catches up to her. "You're a fast little thing!"

When she notices him, she throws her arms around him. She's trembling.

"That…thing was just staring at me!"

He chuckles, rubs her back until she calms down.

She pushes away from him. "This is why I don't like outdoor activities! It's no wonder I never took that wrestler seriously! He had all these rigorous ten-mile jogging plans and gym program."

A shudder goes through her when she remembers. "Has my face changed colour? Am I purple? Green?"

"What wrestler?" he asks, surprised to hear about a wrestler.

"What does it matter?"

"Doesn't," he mumbles.

It does.

She might as well do it now because he'll bring it up later. Weeks or months later.

"He was a sophomore at the community college and we met when I was taking a short course there," she states dryly.

"How old were you?"

"Fourteen?"

"What about him?"

"Eighteen thereabouts."

Nineteen to be exact, but she'd rather act like she doesn't really remember.

His eyes widen. "You were a child!"

"It was mutual and I was blinded! He was very interesting." She winks. "And cute."

"Why did you break up with him?"

"He was a health nut. I'm okay with salads once in a while but telling me to cut off meat completely? Why don't you just stick a needle in my eye?"

He laughs. Haley sure loves her meat.

"I dated a vegetarian once," he says.

"You did?"

"Yeah. Freshman year. Remember Amy Daniels?"

She suppresses a snort. Amy Daniels, cheerleader and debate club president, would go around school handing out pamphlets about colonics and the benefits of vegetable juice. And the girls sort of had an academic rivalry going.

Nice to know that she had also dated her husband.

"She transferred, right? Was it because of you?"

He laughs. "No. Her dad got a job offer in another town."

"Did you have a sexual relationship with her?"

Straight up with them always trumps beating around the bush.

He blinks. He wasn't expecting that. Why lie?

"Yes."

He feels like a whore; they only dated for a week. Haley doesn't need to know that.

She wonders how long they dated for sex to be involved. When she was busy complaining about sore, growing pains, he was out there charming the pants off girls who had experienced sore, growing pains a little earlier like he had.

She shrugs. "Okay."

He was expecting it to turn out to be another waterworks episode.

"Okay? That's it?"

She'll bring it up some other time. The walking has sapped her of the energy to throw a fit.

She pats his arm lightly. "Sweetie, you had the sexual appetite of a stray cat. I get it."

He doesn't know whether to laugh or be offended.

* * *

><p>Walking through the trail, the hum of water is a prominent sound. Clear water flows down in a creek into the valley, the banks speckled with small yellow flowers.<p>

"Hales, you gotta stop doing that!" he reprimands her for the fifth time in the last ten minutes.

She's been stopping to take pictures of far-off mountaintops, although the view isn't as magnificent because of all the foliage.

"I can't help it. This is my first and last hiking trip. I want to document every scene."

He looks over his shoulder. "You won't come again?"

She takes another picture of him. "God, no. Want to take a picture of me in agony?"

"No."

"Please?" she pouts.

He groans, holding his hand out for the camera. "Fine. Look tired."

"Don't I look tired?"

She shakes her shoulders and stares into the camera.

"You look sexy."

"I do not."

"Yes, you do. Look like you just learnt that we're walking for sixteen miles, not six."

Her face falls and he takes the picture.

"Excellent."

* * *

><p>They are passing through the denser part of the forest, where large, hulking trees line the trail.<p>

"How much further?" she whines.

"About three miles."

"Can we take a break? I'm hot and thirsty and my feet hurt."

Without waiting for him to respond, she plops down on the ground and opens her backpack.

"Don't drink too much or you'll get a stitch," he says when she pulls out a bottle of water.

She pops the cap off and takes a huge gulp.

"Hey!" Nathan swipes it from her hand. "What did I tell you?"

"But I'm thirsty," she cries.

"Don't drink it all at once, Hales. Your side will be hurting so bad that you won't be able to walk."

"You won't carry me?"

"Is that what you're hoping for?"

"No."

He raises an eyebrow questioningly. "No?"

She looks away.

"I won't carry you, but if you leave your bag behind, I'll think about it."

"This bag is new! And it has a lot of important things!"

Snacks are important.

"Someone else will appreciate it."

"It's so much smaller than yours! I'm sure you could handle—"

She breaks off at the raise of his eyebrow. "Fine, then. I'll carry my aching body. Can I please have my water back?"

"Too much and you hurt. Small sips, Hales."

"Alright," she huffs. "Give it back."

She looks straight at him as she takes two tiny sips. "Happy?"

He grins. "Satisfied."

After a few more sips, she puts the bottle down and reaches for the laces of her boots.

"My toes hurt like hell."

"Did you break in those boots?"

Her eyes dart around.

"No," she says softly, embarrassed.

"Hales…"

He told her a dozen times and she said she would a dozen times.

"I know you told me but I forgot and I thought I'd have more time to do it but—"

"Are you pregnant?"

She stares at him in shock. That was unexpected.

"What?"

"Unless you're pregnant and it's affecting your memory, you're not one to forget things easily."

He's right. She remembers things she needs to do two months in advance, even when she jots them down in her organizer two months in advance.

"I'm not pregnant!"

"So what's your excuse?"

He's being a little mean about this but he's frustrated with her. For once, he's the one scolding her, not the other way round.

"I was too lazy to do it, okay? They were intimidating!"

He rolls her eyes at her. "How can shoes be intimidating?"

"Boots, Nathan. These cannot be termed as shoes. They looked heavy."

Whenever she passed by them on the hallway, she snubbed them, like they would rise up on their own and give her a few swift kicks to her butt if she dared touch them.

He squats next to her. "How bad is the pain?"

"A lot," she whimpers, making a move to remove her boot.

"I can do it," he says as he brushes away her hand.

He removes the boot and the hiking sock. "This is bad."

Her foot stings. "How bad?"

She's afraid to look.

"Blisters."

They're torn.

"I'm just going to wrap gauze over your feet to act as extra padding and it'll make it easier for you to walk, okay?"

"How do you know what to do?"

"Boy Scout. As for you, your Brownie skills are shot. Maybe if you had been a Girl Scout…"

"We would have hooked up?"

"In your dreams."

"Looks like my dreams came true after all," she sniggers.

"You are such a nerd," he grins.

"And proud. I wasn't a Brownie for very long, anyway."

"Couldn't handle the bugs?"

"Dead on."

She was only eight and she couldn't take spending nights out in nature during camping trips. She hated the dirt, the hard ground, the chirping crickets, the bush bathrooms and of course, the bugs.

"If we had an option to choose the activities most suitable for your personality, I would have had several merit badges from selling cookies and chocolate."

He laughs as he pops open the First Aid kit. "How did you get roped into joining, anyway?"

"My mom thought it would be a good way to meet kids my age."

He starts by placing a layer of moleskin over the blistered areas. "And did you? Make friends?"

"A few. One of them was your Amy Daniels."

"No kidding."

"No kidding. She was kinda the same even when we were kids."

"Health nut?" he smirks.

"An eight-year-old vegan."

She watches as he wraps up her foot in the gauze, finishing the ministration by putting her sock back on.

"Better?"

When he looks up at her, her eyes and cheeks are wet.

"Why are you crying? Did I hurt you?"

She shakes her head. "I just love you a lot."

More than a lot. He takes such good care of her.

He grins. "That's why you married me. Is your boot wet?"

"No."

"Good. We need to keep your feet dry or else all that moisture in your boot will render this whole thing useless."

He does the same for her other foot.

"There. You can outrun a bear now."

* * *

><p>"Nathan, check out these trees! They are enormous!"<p>

He doesn't need to. He's been passing by them and he's not impressed by their gargantuan size like she is. To him, they're just big trees.

He looks over his shoulder. She's taking a picture, her hand splayed on the bark of the tree.

"Haley!"

It probably wouldn't be right to drag her by the hand.

"Okay, I'm done! But the gum on that tree was shaped like a guitar!"

She catches up to him, holding out the camera. "Look."

He shakes his head at the picture. "No way. It looks like a bubbling blister."

"Does not." She grimaces. "Now I have to delete it. Hey, are we there yet?"

He veers off the left onto a narrower trail. "We'll go straight on for about a mile and then reach the mountain."

"The tower is close to the mountain?"

"Mmhh."

She stops. "How far is the tower?"

"Just around the bend."

"Truth, Nathan."

"About half a mile on the mountain's trail."

She shrieks. "What!?"

"You said you wanted to see the tower."

She regrets it now. "You could have warned me about the distance! If I knew it were six miles going up and another six coming back down, I—"

"I told you it was six."

"You told me it was a _total_ of six! That means a return trip! Unless…unless there's a truck passing by to give us a ride? I mean, there are rangers who do regular trips up there, right?"

He hates to shatter her hopeful spirit. He'll enjoy doing it, anyway.

"Of course there's a truck."

She narrows her eyes. "Are you being sarcastic?"

He throws her a kiss and a wink over his shoulder and continues on the trail.

She's mumbling to herself as she follows him. Out of sheer pride, she'll get to the damn tower.


	4. Chapter 4

The tall steely tower stands on the trail beside Cove Mountain. He's been there for a few minutes when he hears rustling behind him.

"Oh — my — God…"

She drops her backpack on the grass and bends over, hands on her knees, breathing hard.

"You okay?" he asks. She doesn't look very good. A little green. Nope, purple.

She waves a hand away. "A little — breathless — minute…"

She leans her back on the tower when she's back to normal. "I should start joining you on your morning runs. That was some trek. Can we climb it?"

He shakes his head. "No. But…"

He takes her hand and leads her towards the edge.

"What…I didn't mean to drag us behind! You don't have to ki—"

He shuts her up with a kiss. She dips her tongue into his mouth but he pulls away.

He chuckles at her pout. "Look."

"Wow."

He wraps his arms around her shoulders from behind, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Yeah."

It's all a lush, gorgeous green view, with white dots far into the distance.

"Is that the parking lot?" she squeals. "I think I can see our car!"

"You can't."

She turns around in his arms. "Yes, I can. You're—"

He kisses her again. This time, he's the one seeking out her tongue. He slides it past her lips, into her mouth, meeting the soft and sweet taste of her. She responds eagerly, drinking him in, running her tongue across his teeth, nibbling on his lips.

Moaning deeply against his mouth when he pulls at her tongue, she rubs herself against him.

His head is filled with a thick fog, intoxicating and delicious. She is dizzy and her tongue feels scalded when he pulls away from her.

Some kiss.

"You really need to stop being so melodramatic," he pants.

She puts her arms around his neck and pushes him backwards. It would be awful if they rolled down.

"But you like it."

She bites her lower lip, recovering from that mindboggling kiss.

"I do. And I wasn't planning on killing you."

She chuckles, burying her head in his chest. "I wasn't thinking that."

"So what were you thinking then?"

"Kisses?"

She feels him rumble with laughter beneath her, then looks up at him.

"Thank you for bringing me here. I know I haven't been the easiest traveling companion but…I'm glad we came."

* * *

><p>Going down is worse for her than the hike upwards. She has to be careful not to put all her weight forward or be too drastic in stepping in case she slides down the steep hill and breaks her back.<p>

"You okay?" her husband yells.

She can't really tell where he is because of the looming darkness and the dense vegetation. "Yeah!"

"So I was thinking! You want to go to the beach tomorrow?"

He's feeling so energetic. Could he be a closet adrenaline junkie?

She mock-cries under her breath, wanting to sleep in tomorrow. All day if possible.

"I plan to sleep off all this pain, babe!"

"You can do that at the beach! Please?"

She hears him beg as his voice carries in the trees.

"Fine! As long as you let me sleep!"

"As long as you're in that bikini I like so much!"

She laughs out loud. Brooke bought her a black and gold bikini when they threw her a belated bachelorette party. It wasn't her usual style, a little daring and a lot sexy.

It fits her perfectly and Nathan always drools when he sees her in it. The first time she wore it at Tim's pool party, Nathan was so horrified at the leering looks their male classmates were throwing her way that he wanted to cover her up with a robe.

She cusses, slapping at her leg. It's dusk, it's cooler and there are plenty of bugs flying around her. An owl hoots.

"Baby, can you wait up?"

More hooting. It sounds like it's coming from behind her.

Looking around frantically, she spots a grey owl a few trees behind, staring at her. She wonders if seeing an owl is a bad omen.

"Nathan!"

Nothing.

How far away is he?

She adjusts her bag around her shoulders and continues on downhill, berating herself for packing away so much water. But from the way they've been consuming it all day, it was a good call.

After a struggle traipsing over rocks and roots jutting out from everywhere on the ground, balancing herself and her bag, she gets to an even surface. Her toes are sore even with the gauze and socks.

She remembers this area. It's mainly forested, about half a mile long of leveled ground before turning upwards to the tower.

"Nathan?"

The trees are frightening, tall, huge and wide. Yet they're the same trees she was awed by earlier.

The crickets are chirping, the mosquitoes are feasting on her legs, the darkness is creepy and Nathan could be too far ahead.

"Nath—"

"Boo!"

She screams so loudly that he takes a step back. Her hand over her chest, she turns to face him once her shrieking is over. Her heart is close to jumping out.

"God, why did you do that!?"

She can't help but punch his arm.

"Ow. I got bored."

He was a little ahead, deciding to wait instead of going back for her. She hadn't screamed yet so he took that as a sign that she was still alive.

"And the way to kill your boredom was to give me a heart attack? What if I was holding a knife? I could have stabbed you!"

"You have a knife?"

"I could be wielding a gun!"

Did his mother take her shopping?

"You have a gun?"

"NO! Oh my God! Don't do that again! You know I don't like to be—"

She hiccups. "You know I don't like to be s-s-s—"

And then she's crying.

"Baby, I'm sorry," he apologizes as he reaches for her, feeling bad for making her cry.

She pushes him away, something she does when she's afraid or upset.

"I'm really sorry, Hales," he says seriously after her cries have quieted.

He pulls her to his chest and she doesn't pull away.

She sniffles, nodding slightly.

"How are we going to get down in the dark?" she asks after a few moments.

He rubs her back. "Slowly."

"You're walking too fast for me," she says as she raises her head.

He wipes at her cheeks with his thumb and kisses her forehead. "Sorry. I'll be slower."

She wipes at her eyes again. "Okay. But I need to wear my jeans first. These mosquitoes are sucking me dry."

* * *

><p>Why did she agree to this in the first place? Hiking is not an ideal first, second or anytime date.<p>

"This…" she spreads her arms "…is just an alien environment to this body! Baby, you know I don't even jog. Why couldn't you convince me to leave my pale skin at home? We could have rented a movie that involves hiking."

She's whining and she knows it. She's not ashamed to complain.

"Does that mean our trip to the Grand Canyon is no longer viable?"

She thinks he's crazy. "You can go without me."

He thinks she's crazy. "Nah."

"Honey, I don't want to be a wife who forces her husband to do stuff with her."

"But I like doing stuff with you."

Before her, he hated it when people encroached on his space but after her, he wants to be with her everywhere. It doesn't seem fun doing things without her. Even if it makes her miserable. She still tries.

She stops and stares adoringly at his back. Were it not for the hill, she'd throw herself at him.

A sound coming from the bushes beneath the trees a few yards away freezes the smile on her face.

"Did you hear that?"

He stops. "I didn't hear anything."

"Listen."

Nothing.

"I still don't hear anything."

As he takes a step forward, he hears it. It's loud and whatever is in there is making quite a ruckus. The bushes are shaking violently and it is frightening considering the impending darkness.

"Nathan…"

"Run, Hales."

"Not without you," she whispers fiercely.

"I'm right behind you. Now, go!"

She runs as fast she can over the rough terrain. At least it's not as steep as it was before.

Stopping behind a huge oak tree, she waits for him to reach her.

She's panting heavily, and her heart is beating madly. "What — the hell — was — that?"

"I don't know." Nathan says, in much better shape than her. "Probably a raccoon."

"A raccoon the size of a bear?"

He looks behind them.

They don't hear anything.

"I think it's gone."

* * *

><p>He's just noticing it.<p>

"Hales?"

She bumps into him, not liking the tone of his voice. "What? Is it another animal?"

"No. I think we're lost. I can't see the trail anymore."

"Lost? How?"

He turns to her. "We might have gone a little off the trail."

Not just a little. A whole lot. They've been walking for some time and he hadn't realized where they were.

"A little?"

"When we ran, we went off the trail."

The darkness wasn't helping any.

This was her worst fear, getting lost in the land of wild animals and menacing trees.

"Can you remember which way you were running from?"

She looks around in panic. "No. Can you?"

"I can't remember passing this swamp."

"What swamp?"

He turns her body to her left. "That one."

She can't remember it either. The panic increases to mammoth levels.

"Oh my God…"

"Hales…"

"We're lost in the woods. Why are you so calm when we're lost in the woods!?"

"We'll find our way back."

"I'm dreaming, aren't I? Please slap me. Or pinch me. I need to wake up!"

She's hysterical.

He holds her firmly by the shoulders. "Haley, relax, okay?"

How can she? They're stuck in the woods, and they didn't leave a trail of breadcrumbs to lead them back to the right way home.

"Relax? I don't want to die up here! I don't want us to die up here!" she screams.

"We won't die. We'll just retrace our steps and then we'll get back on the trail. No harm done."

They're surrounded by a dense forest. In darkness. How do they retrace their way through it? How did she even get here? She can't recall slapping bushes away as she ran. Fear really does make people do the impossible.

"We've only been married for two months, three weeks, five days and fifteen hours, Nathan! What kind of cruel joke is the world playing on us? We're barely seventeen and we're facing our d—"

She bursts into tears.


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you okay?" he asks as he rubs her back.

She nods, heaving out a huge breath. "I will be."

Coughing, she takes in a big gulp of the cold air, feeling silly for crying. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We'll get through this. Ready?"

"Yeah…"

"We'll go back this way, so stay close, okay?"

"Okay."

She feels like a weakling. The trip has brought out the scaredy-cat and whiny bitch in her, a long way away from the bravery she usually exudes. If this is some sort of marital test, she's failing miserably.

She follows him closely through the dark shrubbery, her flashlight lighting the way for her.

At her quietness for the last ten minutes, Nathan asks, "Are you okay?"

It is very unlike her; she's usually silent when she's angry, hurt or preoccupied.

Clearing her throat, she says, "Yeah. I just realized that you need a partner, not a crybaby."

She sounds stronger. She feels stronger.

He chuckles. Honestly, she amuses him with her crying and drama. But when she decides to be tough, she's tough.

"You're not a crybaby. This is just not your kind of scene."

He holds a branch for her to pass under.

"I've been a pain in the butt but from now on, I'm gonna be reliable. Just watch. I'm gonna be so reliable that it will make your teeth hurt."

He smiles as he watches her walk ahead of him, talking about her reliability. He knows she's reliable. She's the kind of person if you asked to bring you something on her way home, she will, even if she has to go to three different stores to find it.

"Babe, you're tough. It's okay to be scared."

"I know, but I need to grow some serious ovaries right now."

He laughs at her words. Haley's always had a way with words; to make him laugh, to calm him, to comfort him, to understand him, to push him.

"My perfect partner."

She stops and turns around to face him. "What?"

He approaches her slowly, pushing a curly strand behind her ear.

"You're my perfect partner," he whispers.

Just last Saturday, they were on the couch, her head lying on his lap as she read, his fingers combing her hair as he watched the game. It was such a simple thing for a Saturday evening but it was perfect.

She rises on her toes and presses her lips to his. The kiss is not aimed at turning any one of them on; it's not meant to make them rip the clothes off each other. It's an answer, an affirmation.

He's her perfect partner; the way he knows how to push her towards courage and away from shyness, the way he loves her like no one ever has, the way he makes her feel safe and protected.

"I love you, Nathan," she says simply, her eyes misty.

He kisses her again. "I love you, too."

* * *

><p>"You know what I want most right now?"<p>

"Cracker Jacks?"

He grins. "Cracker Jacks. You?"

She sighs. "A shower."

"Alone?"

"Wouldn't want to share my grime with anyone," she says, concealing a smile.

"But what if someone is as grimy as you? Will you share?"

"Is that someone willing to scrub my back?"

"And every inch of you."

She blushes.

Her silence tells him that she's feeling embarrassed. She's shy when it comes to talking about sexual things but carrying them out…

He remembers their first night together. He, Nathan Scott, the man with the sexual appetite of a stray cat, was terrified.

He was terrified that it wouldn't be special enough for her. He was terrified he would hurt her. He was terrified he wouldn't be good enough for her. He was just terrified.

But the moment she kissed him, telling him she loved him, the terror was gone. She trusted him. She trusted him enough to give him a gift so remarkable that he could have burst out into song.

"Hey."

Her touch on his shoulder brings him back to the present.

"Do you remember this place?" she asks.

They shine their flashlights over the trees neighbouring the clearing. These ones are thinner and the breeze sways their scrawny branches this way and that, making them creak like stairs in a haunted house.

"No. Do you?"

"No. How far did I run anyway?"

She cannot remember how she got that far.

"Quite a distance it seems. It's really dark now."

They hear a howl and she pulls closer to him. He can hear her teeth chattering.

"We're gonna be okay, Hales."

She blinks back tears furiously, nodding vigorously as she does so.

"We c-can k-keep going."

Her teeth are rattling like they're on autopilot, and pulling her lips together isn't helping.

"You sure?"

He's seriously worried about her. She's told him before that sometimes she's afraid of the dark. It can't be comforting for her now being someplace where animals can pounce from treetops.

He's going to get her out of here even if it kills him.

Hopefully, it won't. He's looking forward to spending the next sixty years with her.

* * *

><p>It's getting darker as they keep going. The moon is rising, providing some light as they walk along a narrow path.<p>

When they get to a large clearing, Haley feels hopeful that they've found their way out.

"Nathan, is this where we stopped to get to the mountain?"

He shines his flashlight around the clearing. "No. The other one had a rock on that side, remember? That's where I jumped from when I scared you."

It's not that hard to feel her glaring at him through the darkness. She's still a little miffed about that.

"Okay, so we keep going?"

There's a path that seems to lead to higher ground from the clearing.

"Hang on."

He reaches for the side pocket of his backpack for his cell phone. It's not there. He hopes it didn't fall somewhere in the forest.

"I can't find my phone. Do you have yours?"

She rummages in her bag for her own.

"Um, no cell reception," she says as she shows it to him.

He turns his back to her. "Can you check for mine?"

She digs through the extra clothing in his backpack until she gets it.

"It's dead."

He turns, taking them both from her. He usually forgets to charge his phone until it runs out of juice. Today of all days…

"I hate to say this but we have to climb higher for cell reception."

She looks bewildered. "What?"

"Isn't that how it works? Higher ground for better signal?"

"Yes, but…"

When he touches her hand, it feels cold. "We're surrounded by hills, Hales. We can't get a signal here. And climbing down right now is dangerous. It's dark and we could trip and roll d—"

She grabs him before he continues. "I'm just so scared, Nathan!"

He kisses her forehead and she wraps her arms tighter around him.

"I know, baby. I know."

* * *

><p>She maneuvers herself around a large boulder in the middle of a trail they were not on before.<p>

"How high are you thinking we'll go?"

"Until we find an elevated spot."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"We'll have to go back down. As we go higher we might get really lost."

She feels like it's her fault that they're in this situation. If she hadn't insisted on going up to see the tower, if she hadn't gone off course while running from that…thing, they'd be safe in their bed.

Or warm and toasty in the car as they drove home, dreaming about dipping her feet in warm, soothing water, taking a long shower together, falling asleep wrapped up in each other like they always do…

Her eyes sting at the wishful thoughts flying through her mind.

"You okay?" he asks over his shoulder.

"Yeah!" she chirps, mentally repeating her mantra in this parallel universe where she feels out of her element.

Her husband needs a partner, not a crybaby.

"Okay. Let's try now."

He's standing on a huge rock, shrugging his backpack off his shoulders and handing it to her.

She takes out her cell phone and passes it to him. He flies it this way and that over his head, staggering a little on the rock.

"Be careful."

It would be a disaster if he fell and split his head open.

"I'm okay, but we've lucked out."

She gulps. "No signal?"

He shakes his head, looking at her. Her dejection is gone as quickly as it showed.

"Okay. Now what? We go back down?"

She sounds bold and ready, the terror of the situation having slapped the wimp out of her.

He slides down carefully off the rock, steadying himself once he's on the ground.

"We go back down."


	6. Chapter 6

He throws the backpack on his shoulders, securing it for the treacherous trek ahead.

Haley then drapes her arms around him, hugging him tight.

"We can do this, Nathan. We can do this. The moon will show us the way, okay?"

It's her turn to reassure him. He's been doing it all day and it's time she stopped punking out.

"We can do this, baby."

He didn't realize he needed that until she said it.

"Together, right?" he whispers.

"Always."

He sighs against her hair. "I'm glad you're here."

He'd rather be lost in the woods with her than with anyone else. She's been such a trooper.

"Me, too. I'd be sick with worry if you were not home by now."

She'd have come looking for him herself.

He frames her face in his hands. "Hey…"

She shakes her head, her brown eyes swimming with tears. "I'm sorry…Don't mean to cry…"

He dips his head to kiss her, meeting her lips in a warm, fervent kiss.

"We'll get out," he repeats softly, leaning his forehead against her. "We'll eat something and then make our way down,"

Flooded by fear, she nods, afraid and worried about what being here so late could mean for them. Anything could happen.

Other than the three bottle of water she's left with, they only have crackers. They ate the sandwiches and peanuts she'd packed, they ate the potato chips and chocolate that he'd packed.

She pulls them out, relieved to see it's a full pack left. If they're careful, it can last them until tomorrow.

She gives him two and a bottle of water. They savor every bite and every sip; their next meal will be a long time coming.

"I could use a burger right about now," she says as she stuffs the nearly-full bottle back in her bag.

"You think we'd win a reality show?"

She laughs. "I think I'd ask to be kicked off the show."

"Nah. You're way too competitive and proud for that."

"I'm not!"

He smiles as if he knows her, which he does. "Yes, you are. I've played Scrabble and Monopoly with you. You play to kill, not win."

She gapes at him, as if his definition of her competitiveness has just come upon her. She knows she's competitive, but surely, she can't be that bad.

"I'm not competitive. I'm…spirited," she says with a shrug.

"Don't even get me started on Charades," he shakes his head.

"You mock me now but when we're in "The Amazing Race", you'll be singing a different tune."

"Are you thinking of auditioning for it?"

"Why not? We could do it in college!"

She rubs her hands together, grinning in a way that makes him cagey.

"We'll get to travel and win trips when we're first! Oh, babe! Wouldn't you want to go on a cruise!?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yep."

"Pushing oxen down a mushy field is not on my to-do list, Hales," he drones.

She laughs. "You'd rather your wife was trampled down by oxen?"

"Why does it have to be either or? I'm sure there's an alternative."

"Catching slippery pigs?"

He hesitates. "Fine. But if we lose, it's all on you. I'm not a country boy."

"We won't lose. With your competitive edge and my spiritedness, how can we?"

"I'm not as competitive as you."

"I attend your basketball games, I watch you play video games with Tim and Luke. You play to kill, honey," she winks.

"I've never slaughtered anyone on the court."

"Damien West?"

He scoffs. "He's an asshole. And he's always hitting on you."

Their rivalry goes back to middle school, when Nathan was named MVP in their Little League. With them eventually going off to different district schools and as captains of their basketball teams, they're always out to outdo each other. Damien, unable to get to Nathan on the court, chose a new way to get to him: Haley.

Her face shows a look of disgust. "Is he dangerous?"

"He's all talk and no trousers."

He narrows his eyes. "Has he ever done anything to frighten you? What did that creep do?"

"No, but I always get the urge to shower whenever I see him."

There is a sudden rush of wind and she shivers involuntarily and visibly. He notices.

"Are you alright?"

She tiptoes to kiss him, her lips cold against his. He lifts his fingers to her face, feeling the coldness of her flesh.

When she feels him touch her, she turns away from him, starting the walk towards home, warmth and safety.

"Yeah. I'm just a little cold."

Freezing is more like it.

The bitter mountain air is seeping through her clothes, seeping through her skin, all the way to her bones.

Feeling how cold her skin was gave him a jolt of fear. She may be acting strong, but she is probably scared. She could get sick easily up here.

"Good thing that the moon is up," he says vaguely, trying to figure out how to get them out of here. Safely.

The flashlights are an added advantage to show where they step, the moonlight a huge advantage to show their surroundings.

"Yeah. It makes this easier."

It would be a bigger struggle trying to get down in semi-darkness. Or in rain.

Good thing, too, that it's a clear night.

* * *

><p>"Someone will notice our car is still in the parking lot, right?"<p>

At this point, they're beyond lying to make each other feel better.

"I hope so. It's protocol to scan permits when we exit, isn't it? They should notice we didn't make it out."

They hope that someone notices.

They hope that the park officials don't think that they were going camping, not taking a one-day hike.

How could they when they specifically filled out a form for hiking?

* * *

><p>The loud swishing noises in the bushes and treetops, the howls piercing through the silence, the hooting owls, and the croaking frogs are making them nervous.<p>

The bushes in that part of the forest are thicker, making it harder to pass through.

Nathan stops, wondering if they're roaming off-track.

"What's wrong?" Haley asks uneasily from behind him.

"Nothing. Just taking a breather."

She loves that he's ever so calm when there's a crisis. She's lost count of the number of times he's told her things will be fine, even when they're nowhere close to fine. He's the glass half full kind of guy.

"So we'll just aim for flat land or a clearing and rest for the night, yeah?"

There's only so much they can achieve in the dark.

"That sounds great. Are you as tired as I am?"

Her feet are killing her.

Even if he's a fit athlete, this has been a long day.

"I am. I don't think we're that far from where we started."

"Probably just around the bend, huh?" she says with an amused tone.

He laughs.

"Just around the bend. We'll crash there until—"

Suddenly, he's falling. Like in slow motion.

In one breath he's telling her about getting to the clearing, in the other he's flying, seeing the whole scenario playing out in front of him, a spectator of his own tumble.

She's frozen as he rolls down, landing a few feet away in a thud.

He groans at the immense pain that courses through his body.

Time seems to stand still. It feels like five thousand years she's rooted to the spot watching him, rather than a few seconds.

"Nathan!"

She runs to him, scared out of her mind. His eyes are closed.

"Nathan! Oh, God! Nathan! Baby, can you hear me!?"

He opens his eyes slowly, feeling her cold fingers on his skin.

"I…I'm okay, Hales. I'm okay."

He can feel the aching all over his body.

She's so relieved to hear his voice that she lets out a sob. And then she's consumed by fear.

"Are you hurt?"

She runs her hands up and down his body and when she touches his leg, he winces.

"Is it your leg!?"

He holds her wrist and forces her to look at him. "It's my ankle. I'll be fine."

"Is it broken?"

"I think it's just a sprain."

"Just a…You need it to get down! Maybe I should just go by myself and find help."

His eyes widen. "What? No! Absolutely not! You don't know your way down there and who knows what could happen to you! And there are all types of animals in this place. Bears and snakes a—"

"B-bears?"

"Bears. And mountain lions."

When she scoots closer to him, he feels rotten for making her scared. But he wants her to be safe. Safe is with him.

"Do we stay here then?" she asks fearfully.

"No. We keep going. The clearing can't be far."

She doesn't need him to be brave when he has a sprained ankle.

"Are you sure? We can just wait here until tomorrow."

He shakes his head. "Too risky. What if we rolled down in our sleep?"

She laughs shakily at the humour. He, while doing so, feels a jab so sharp through his body that he gasps. Loudly.

Her heart is gripped by fear all over again. "Baby, what's wrong?"

He doesn't answer. He can feel the pulsing point of the pain.

With trembling fingers, he touches his side, hissing softly at the contact. There's something there. It has pierced through his sweatshirt and skin. He also feels wetness. He doesn't need to look to know what it is.

"Nathan, what is it? Does your leg hurt too much? Is it broken?"

She shines the light on his booted foot.

"My leg is fine," he whispers painfully.

"Then what is it? Are you hurt elsewhere?"

She trails the flashlight up his leg.

"Hales, no!" he adamantly refuses.

"I need to know what's wrong, Nathan. Just relax, okay?" she says in a soothing tone.

He already knows what's wrong with him.

The adrenaline had masked the severity of the pain but as it's passed, it's left him with an excruciating agony

He's trying not to breathe out too hard. If he does, he'll probably black out from the pain.

She travels the flashlight up his body, heart beating riotously against her ribcage.

When the flashlight finds what she's looking for, her heart plummets to her stomach.

"Oh my God…"


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh my God…" she breathes again.

The sight of it leaves her cold, like a bucket of ice has been poured over her heart. She can't imagine what it's like for him.

"Nathan…"

From the tone of her voice, it's not good at all.

"How bad is it?"

She doesn't answer.

"How bad is it, Hales?"

"I…"

She can't even say it, feeling ill as she looks at the patch of dampness on his hoodie. Blood.

The rock isn't any bigger than the size of her fist but it has penetrated through his shirt, through his skin, hanging off his side, like a fork forgotten on a piece of cake. It's flat, sharp jagged edge is embedded, the thicker side of it sticking out like a sore thumb.

Was it just facing upwards waiting for someone to fall onto it? Did it plan this? Who put it up to this? Mother Nature?

He reaches out to touch her fingers, intertwining them with his.

"How bad?"

"S-stuck…"

Her voice is quivering as she tries to come to grips to what she's seeing.

"Baby, I'll need you to get it out. I can't walk with it sticking out of my side," he jokes.

Removing it is the only option. They need to get to a safer place, and that rock will just slow them down.

"W-what?" she whispers in shock. What is he asking of her?

"I need you to pull it out," he says calmly.

She pulls her hand away from his. "No."

"I—"

"No. No. That could make it worse."

"I can't breathe," he says hoarsely.

She leans forward, her entire body shaking. "Nathan…"

"I…I need you to pull it out, Hales."

She shakes her head again, crying. It's like he's just asked her to shoot him point blank.

"Yes." He takes her hand. "Please. It's the only way."

He feels her tense up when he holds it over the injury.

"N-Nathan…"

"Haley," he pleads. "I need to breathe."

Trembling, she places one hand on the rock, wrapping the other over it. What is she doing?

"No! No! I can't!"

"I could die if you don't."

"You could die if I do! Oh my God…Please don't…"

"I'll be okay, Hales. A lifetime, remember? I want to be here for that."

She nods, whimpering, holding the abomination with shaky fingers. She wants a lifetime with him, too.

"On three, okay?"

"Wait!"

She leans over him, her face a few inches from his. "I love you."

She kisses him desperately, holding her lips to his, drawing strength from the contact.

He understands.

"I love you, too," he responds, smiling faintly.

His voice seems to break with emotion.

She kisses him again, and then she sits up, flexing her fingers on the rock.

"On three?" she says, composed.

She's terrified to the core but he needs her to do this for him.

"On three. One…two…three…"

He yells as she tears it out of his flesh. It was really lodged in there.

"Nathan!" she screams.

"Don't stop!"

She finally gets it out, throwing it as far as she can. He breathes in and out, his lungs relieved of the pressure from holding his breath.

"Th-thank you."

She puts her arms around him, crying. How could she do that to him?

"I'm so s-sorry…" she sobs in his chest.

* * *

><p>He makes a motion to get up after she's bandaged the wound. "We can go now."<p>

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Once we get to the clearing, we can rest."

She pushes down her panicky thoughts. He's right. They can't sleep here.

"Fine. But lean on me."

He shakes his pounding head slightly.

"Nathan, you either lean on me or we don't go at all," she says reasonably and fiercely as she stands up.

If she lets him hold himself up, he could fall. He could really hurt himself and she's not willing to risk it.

He knows better than to argue with her about it. "Fine."

She assists him as he struggles to stand. He feels a rush of dizziness, blinking it away as he puts an arm over her shoulders. Her arm snakes out to reach around his waist, below the injury, which is sitting right on his ribcage.

She's scared that he could have broken ribs. Or that the rock pierced something else.

She swallows down the ache in her heart.

"Are you leaning on me?"

She feels weightless.

"Yes."

"Nathan…"

"I'm heavier than you, Hales."

He clutches at his side, trying to apply pressure to the wound. He can feel it bleeding. Not profusely, but still bleeding.

"Don't."

She seems to pull him onto her, making him relax against her.

"There. Better," she says triumphantly.

Her small frame makes him underestimate her strength. It's like he's forgotten she's helped him move the couch before.

"You're bossy," he says with a trace of humour, burying his face between her neck and shoulder.

His head swims and whirls with that simple motion. Rising to his full height, he eases some of his weight off of her.

As he does so, she sighs wearily. "Nathan…"

"I'm fine. I promise."

She doesn't believe him. He doesn't believe it, either.

* * *

><p>"Your blog followers will have a field day with this," he tiredly says in an easy, yet strained tone.<p>

"Peyton, you mean?" she adds lightly.

They are walking down yet another path, slowly but surely.

He can breathe, but every step takes effort. He's sweating and winded. The breeze seems to be whistling cold air into his wound, making him feverish.

"I'm not sure I'll write about it," she says, rubbing his back in an effort to ease the wheezing.

"Why not? It's an adventure story to tell."

"It wasn't—" She breaks off, pressing closer to him. "It wasn't meant to be like this."

He doesn't question it.

"Maybe not now but when it's better, you can write about it."

She nods, turning to look straight ahead of them. "God, babe, it's been such a long day."

"Tell me about it. Think you'll find my scar cool?"

She laughs softly at his jest, afraid she may just start crying. "You mean you get to be cooler?"

He stops for a moment, looking into her eyes.

"What is it?" she asks, her heart thumping.

Smoothing strands of hair away from her face, he bends down to kiss her lips gently.

A swift gust of wind makes them both shudder. Even with the bandage, it seems to have sliced open his wound a little more because he feels the effect.

He coughs, a troublesome cough that makes the violent aching in his side to intensify.

She's not oblivious to the spasm of pain on his pale face. They need to rest soon. The walking isn't good for him.

He nods slowly, suppressing a cough. "I'm okay."

His teeth are clenched tight, and his body feels strained.

She looks away, her throat dry and on fire at seeing him like that. She then notices their surroundings.

"I th-think this is it."

It's a clearing that they haven't seen before.

"You did good, babe," he smiles feebly.

Blinking back the tears that are blurring her vision, she asks, "Can we rest here?"

She's been stumbling and if they don't take a break, she's afraid she might tip them both over. It would be disastrous if both of them were incapacitated.

"Yeah."

The small clearing has enough trees to provide protection from too much wind. Hopefully, it's not some animal's sleeping area.

She helps him ease the bag off his back, telling him to take it easy as he sits. He recoils as he sinks to the ground, the pain at his side so hot like it's housing a fiery blade.

Following suit, she collapses on the ground beside him and lying on her back, she stares out at the clear night. It would be perfect if they were on a date instead of looking over their shoulder whenever bushes stir.

When she hears him wheeze, she closes her eyes at the sound. It breaks her heart to hear him in so much agony.

"Hales?"

She doesn't answer immediately, preoccupied with thoughts of him dying too soon and leaving her half-dead in this broken world.

He can sense her withdrawal, but what he needs to say has to be said.

"Haley?" he calls again.

"Hm?" she answers distractedly.

"I have a confession."

She turns her head at the tone of his voice. "What is it?"

He rethinks it for a fleeting second, knowing that she'll be quite furious with him.

"I forgot the matches."

There. He said it.

She sits up so fast that it startles him. "You. What."

"I thought I had them when we left but it turned out I didn't. I wanted to buy a box in one of the stores on our way here but I kind of forgot…"

She stands up, looking so inexpressive the entire time he is explaining himself.

Watching him babble on about his forgetfulness makes her so angry that she clenches her fists. It's like something is bubbling inside her, right from the tips of her toes to the tips of her fingers.

The gravity of what he just said kicks in.

"You forgot? You kind of forgot!? You remembered to buy condoms but not matches!?"

"Babe—"

She points an unsteady finger at him to shut him up, pacing the uneven ground.

"Don't 'babe' me, Nathan! I asked you if you had matches! I asked you! It's dark, it's cold and you're hurt and if something happens to you tonight because you're not warm…"

She chokes on a sob, slumping back down on the hard ground. Pulling at the sleeves of her hoodie, she draws her jean-clad legs to her chest, rocking back and forth.

It starts as a sniffle but soon escalates to crying. Hot tears run down her cheeks; tears of terror, despair and every negative thing imaginable in such a situation. He could die.

She doesn't hear him reach for her. She only feels him wrap his arms around her as she weeps.

"I'm really sorry, Hales…"

She only cries harder.

"Oh, God…y-you could d—"

She can't bring herself to say it.

He strokes her hair and kisses her temple. "I'm not going to die, Hales."

She clutches his shirt. "We…we had a lifetime planned together, Nathan…"

"We still do. I promise we'll get out of here. I promise."

He holds her tighter, stroking her hair. "I know I'm pretty useless right now but we'll figure it out, okay?"

"This is too soon. T-till death do us part. T-too soon," she says, shaking her head as if speaking to herself.

He just holds her, murmuring words of comfort, letting her cry it out.

"I have a confession," she snivels after she's done crying, looking up at him.

"Did you forget something, too?"

He's trying to make light of such a horrible situation but he's failing miserably from the steely look on her face.

"What is it?"

She looks away shyly and mumbles something about stalls.

"What?"

"I was stalling."

"Why?" he asks instead of gloating.

She sniffles again. "Nature is scary. I just thought we'd prolong our trip here and then get it over with and then go home but then I saw the waterfall and I forgot all about my fears and suggested we walk a little more and now here we are, lost and scared, you're bleeding and I—"

With this, she breaks out in another flood of tears.

* * *

><p>"I'm really sorry," he says quietly in the darkness.<p>

They are stretched out on the grass, their backpacks serving as pillows, wrapped up in each other's arms like they do at home. They're covered in the soft blanket that was a gift from Whitey on their 'after-wedding' party. Haley packed it today in hopes that they would use it for a picnic somewhere on the trail.

"I'm sorry for bringing you here."

She wants to cry at his apologetic tone but she refuses to cry. He needs a partner, not a crybaby. Especially now.

"Don't be. I know it didn't seem like it this morning but I'm glad I came."

She presses a kiss on his jaw. "Besides, now I know who I'd rather be stuck with in the forest."

He half-laughs half-coughs.

"I'm sorry, too," she says, teary-eyed.

"What for?"

"Getting us off the trail. F-for you being like this."

He kisses her hair and she nestles closer to him, careful not to touch him where it hurts. "It's not your fault. And you know, someday we'll be laughing about this over mimosas in Miami."

The shallow breathing is helping with the pain. He feels like his entire body is ablaze, yet dipped in ice at the same time.

She chuckles softly, raising her head to look at him. "Miami? We're moving to Miami?"

"When we retire, yeah."

"We're not even in college, sweetie."

"I have big dreams for us."

"Do they include a ski lodge in Colorado? I've always wanted to learn how to ski."

"We can get that, too."

He'd buy her the moon if he could. When they're out of here, he'll name a star after her.

"Why Miami?" she asks.

"Dan isn't there."

Miami is a place far, far away from Tree Hill. They can get lost there if they want. They can shake themselves loose from Dan Scott's cold, iron shackles.

"Okay."

She would do anything for him, even move to the jungle if it means that he's completely free and happy.

"We'll get a condo and blow all our money on crack and weed and not leave our kids anything."

She laughs out loud. He kisses the side of her face tenderly, his lips lingering a while on her salty, vanilla-scented skin.

"Someday, Hales."

Kissing his Adam's apple, she buries her head in the crook of his neck. "Someday, Nathan."

It's always been easy for them to talk. They're each other's best friend and confidant, the first person the other wants to call when anything good or bad happens.

He texts her during the day about silly things and she doesn't dismiss it. Like how he's just noticed his locker is in two different shades of blue on both sides.

She, too, texts him about silly things. Like the guy at the café who has been working on one Sudoku puzzle all morning, ordering cup after cup of coffee, and that she's tempted to rip it off his hands and complete it herself.

People may think that they were crazy fools for getting married so young, that they were too young to know their hearts, but they don't care. They're happy. Crazy, happy fools.

"I want you to know that I don't take advantage of you. I want you to know that I've never regretted meeting you or marrying you," she says out of the blue.

"It's not the end of us, Hales."

She doesn't mean to but she just wants him to know.

Gulping, she nods against his chest. "I…I just want you to know."

He tries to pull her closer but his strength is seemingly gone.

"I'm not leaving you," he says breathily.

His eyes are suddenly fluttering, with sleep or something else, he doesn't know.

He's breathless and the wheezing has increased.

At this, she looks up at him. She's only seeing the whites of his eyes, his eyelids flickering speedily open and shut.

She places her hand on his cheek, her heart beating wildly.

"Nathan?"

He's wheezing harshly, and she swallows hard as she watches him drift in and out of it.

She pulls the blanket and tucks it under his chin, her hand underneath the blanket rubbing his chest. All she can do is grit her teeth to keep the tears at bay, and rub his chest.

"I'm not leaving you," she whispers into the chilly silence.

Please come back to me, she pleads silently.


	8. Chapter 8

Her eyes are drooping when he gasps loudly. He takes in a breath of air that he seemed to have been deprived of when he was out.

She's instantly awake, leaning over him, looking into his eyes. Her own regard him with a look of concern and fear.

"Hi."

"Hi," he croaks, dimly conscious. "How long…"

It feels like centuries to her but it's only been half an hour. Half an hour of rubbing his chest to help him breathe better. Half an hour of wondering if his heart had stopped.

She pressed her ear to his chest for those lengthy minutes just to make sure it hadn't. Although faint, the beating was reassuring.

She reaches for the bottle of water and holds it to his lips.

He takes a gulp, smacking his lips appreciatively. They feel…soft and smooth.

"Lip balm," she says.

The cold air would have sucked them dry.

He manages a weak smile. "Thank you."

She seems to deflate with relief, a tear sliding down her cheek. He reaches slowly for it, rubbing it away with his thumb. She closes her eyes, holding the hand in place with her own, rubbing her cheek against his hand. Her wedding ring gleams in the moonlight.

"Where did you go?" she asks, her voice breaking.

"I'm sorry" is all he can say. He can only remember the pain and the darkness.

She leans down, peppering his face with feathery kisses; on his brow, his cheek, his chin, his forehead and his nose.

"I missed you."

It's taking a lot of energy to just breathe, and he's sucking in air in short, hard, uneven gasps. He missed her, too.

"How do you feel?"

It's all over his face but she just wants to ask.

His only response is a soft, choppy huff.

"It's going to be okay," she says as she rubs his hair.

It's just them. Does someone know they're missing?

He moans, his eyes starting to drift closed again.

She takes his hand, holding it to her chest. "Nathan?"

He opens them slowly, looking at her, his gaze unfocused.

She doesn't know what to do. She just starts to talk.

"R-remember when we told Lucas we were married? He could have swallowed a fly," she smiles slightly at the memory.

He can barely hear her, feeling very weak. He closes his eyes, his long eyelashes lying still on his whitish cheeks.

"And Brooke? I swear she would have gotten us kicked out of the mall."

Peyton had been speechless, but Brooke had let out a bloodcurdling scream that had echoed through the food court.

"And the emails I got from my brothers and sisters. They wanted to kill us."

The morning after their wedding, she logged in to her email account to find an email from each one of her siblings, each one of them telling her how stupid of an idea it was. She couldn't remember the last time either of them had kept in touch with her, even with a simple hello. But the moment she does something out of the ordinary, it's a matter of hours before they rain insults on her.

"We still have so much to do together, baby," she says, touching a finger to his mouth.

"I wouldn't want to be in a TV show with anyone but you. And who else will listen to my whining in the Grand Canyon?"

His lashes flutter, eyes half closed. "Grand…?"

She chuckles, weakly, worriedly, fearfully.

"I will if you promise to hang on," her tone softening.

He blinks slowly in response, exhausted. His side may explode from pain any moment.

She traces the side of his face with trembling fingers.

A spasm seems to shake him to his very soul. He looks at her, his eyes sweeping over her face briskly.

"What? What is it?"

She watches him straining to breathe.

"I remember."

He remembers how hurt she was when she read those emails, crying about the only reason they wrote was to attack her.

She didn't know she was holding her breath until she exhales heavily. Too overwhelmed to say anything, she leans her forehead against his, placing a soft kiss above his eye.

And so she talks to him throughout the night.

Groggy, he listens as she tells him about where she's been for vacation and where she'd want to go. He'll take her to Niagara Falls.

She tells him about her first day at the café when she tried to balance three plates of food on one arm. He laughs inwardly, imagining the expression on her face when it happened.

She tells him about being a last-born and feeling overlooked by her family.

She tells him about the first time she met Lucas, and the first time she learned of his relation to Nathan.

She tells him about the time she was tempted to punch his nose when he called Luke a bastard at the park. They were only eleven.

She tells him about her first pet, her first sleepover, her first concert, her first heartbreak, leaving out her first kiss. She promises to tell him about it when they get out of here.

She tells him about getting ready for their wedding, how anxious she felt that day waiting to see him, waiting to be married to him.

She tells him about how gorgeous he looked as she walked down the beach to meet him.

She tells him about their wedding night, how special she felt, how grateful she was for his efforts to make it special for her. The candles, the silk crimson bed sheets, the flowers. It was perfect, she says.

One beat after another, she talks throughout the night.

* * *

><p>Her cheek receives abuse when she smacks at the buzzing in her ear.<p>

She wants to sleep a little more but her face is stinging; from the slap and the many bites she suffered from the mosquitoes throughout the night. She winces when she touches a prickly bump. It itches but she won't scratch at it.

It's morning already, bright and chilly, the grass dampened overnight by the dew. A typical morning in the mountains.

Her bones feel frozen. Some sunshine would be nice right now when it's so exceedingly cold.

She lifts up her head quickly, her eyes shooting open, meeting blue ones.

"Hi," he whispers weakly.

"Hi."

There's a lump in her throat. She berates herself for falling asleep. He's in pain, but knowing him, he doesn't want to show it.

Lean fingers reach for her cheek.

"Did you sleep okay?" he asks.

She just nods, blinking fitfully at the tears pricking at her eyes. How can he ask about her when he's the one who is hurt? How could she sleep when he needed her?

"How are you feeling?" she counters, struggling to swallow at the relentless lump.

She dreamt he died.

He sighs, hissing at the pain. "T…tired."

He's so tired. He couldn't sleep for longer than a few minutes. The agonizing pain kept him awake, allowing him to keep watch to make sure she was okay. If the animals wanted to drag him away, they could, just as long as she was safe.

She entangles herself from his arms, sitting up and pulling out a bottle of water from her backpack. It's their last one.

"Drink."

He takes a few small sips, wanting to hold her hand but feeling too lethargic to even keep his eyes open. She takes such good care of him.

It reminds her of yesterday when he was telling her how much damage huge gulps of water could do.

He pushes his lips away weakly from the bottle. His eyes feel heavy as lead, his body exhausted and weighty.

"Thank — need — rest…"

She's afraid that if he falls asleep this time, he may not wake up.

"Nathan, no…"

"Just—"

His face twists in a grimace, and he draws in a huge breath. It feels like a bomb is going off in his head.

"Nathan!" she screams.

His head rolls back and forth, his eyes darken, and then they flutter closed.

"Nathan!"

She shakes his shoulder. "Baby?"

He's quiet.

Her heart falls to her stomach.

"N-Nathan?"


	9. Chapter 9

Terrified, she leans over him, placing her ear above his nose. His breathing is faint, overpowered by the wheezing.

"Nathan?"

Nothing but wheezing.

"Oh my God…"

In that awful moment, she releases a sob, her entire body aching at seeing her husband like that.

Not knowing what to do, the tears come, spilling out over her eyes, down her cheeks, onto his blanketed chest. Feeling the heaviness of the anguish, she rests her head on his shoulder, her heart ripping into pieces as she cries for him.

Finally spent, she lifts her head, shaking it as if to get rid of obscurity. She takes a few shaky breaths, biting down on her quivering lip to fight crying again.

"I'm gonna get you help."

She doesn't know how she'll do it but she has to get him help. It's been hours since he got hurt…

"Don't leave me, okay?"

She gulps, running a hand down the side of his face. He's her always and forever.

"Don't leave me, Nathan. I need you so much…"

Emptying the contents of their backpacks, she raises his head and places his bag underneath. She puts his feet in her own bag, tying the strings around his legs, securing it from slipping off.

She picks up all the pieces of clothing they had with them. His extra t-shirt and hers, her hiking shorts and his tracksuit, laying them out on the blanket to keep him warm.

Leaning in close to his face, she pecks his cheek. "I promise I'll be back. Once I get help, I promise I'll come back."

She grabs the First Aid kit, spilling out its contents. She had disinfected the wound for a second time during the night but blood has soaked up the bandages.

Gently, she removes the soiled dressing, stashing it in a plastic bag and tucking it away in the pocket of her hoodie. Her hands are shaking as she sponges off the blood as best as she can, dousing the wound with antiseptic solution, laying every bandage and gauze left over it. She plasters adhesive strips around it to hold the dressing in place.

He doesn't even flinch.

She rubs his cheek with her knuckles. "Hang on, okay? I promise we'll get you home."

Can she leave him alone when he's bleeding? Surrounded by bears and man-eating mountain lions?

Regretfully, she has to. Waiting will not help them.

With a smothered cry, she presses her lips to his, trying her best not to scream.

"I love you. Wait for me."

He only wheezes in answer.

"Wait for me, Nathan. I promise to get you help."

She gives him a hug that he cannot return, a kiss that he cannot respond to, a promise that he cannot acknowledge.

She holds onto him for a moment longer, lifting his hand to her face one more time before tucking it back under the blanket.

"I promise I'll come back."

She kisses him again and gets to her feet slowly, taking one step after another away from him, perpetually wishing that there were two of her.

Before disappearing out of the clearing, she turns back and blows him a kiss.

* * *

><p>She makes her way downhill as if in a trance, his voice ringing in her head.<p>

_"Be careful. It's a little steep and I don't want you hurting yourself." _

Was that just yesterday?

When she knows she's far enough, she glances around, unties the plastic bag with the dirty bandages, stuffs it with a few stones, and throws it as far out in the air as possible. As far away as possible from Nathan.

Suddenly, there's a bolt of lightning, followed by a loud rumble of thunder. In a flash, the sky seems to shut down from brightness to gloom.

She struggles to walk faster, to at least get to a safe place before the rain. She halts, remembering that Nathan is not sheltered from it.

"Oh my God…"

Should she go back or keep heading down?

Another peal of thunder tears the heavens apart, and she feels the first droplets on her forehead.

She curses when the rain begins to pour heavily, careful of her footing as she steps over the rocks on the slope.

Lightning flashes, thunder roars, and wind throws furious bullets of rain to her face. It's a fierce storm.

She's soaked, her clothes clinging to her like a second skin, giving her extra weight, her teeth chattering at an indescribable speed.

_"I won't carry you, but if you leave your bag behind, I'll think about it."_

She misses that smirk. She wants him back. She wants to be home with him on this rainy day, under a pile of blankets, talking and laughing softly after making—

A deafening roar of thunder rattles her so much that she screams, causing her to trip, making her lose balance altogether.

She cries out as her elbow strikes the earth. Hard. Fallen on her stomach, she starts to slip, screaming and grabbing at air for something to hold onto, terror consuming her entire being.

The torrential rain pushes her down over the elevated, muddy trail. She elicits a sharp cry of pain as her stomach connects brutally with rocks, her body sliding through the icy mud.

Her temple crashes against something hard, causing her to gasp loudly. Muddy rainwater escapes into her open mouth, making her momentarily breathless. She coughs as she attempts to reach for something, anything, that will stop her from falling to her death, catching nothing but air and mud.

_"You can. I'm right here."_

Downward she slides, her hands and knees taking abuse from the terrain, her nose and mouth filling with murky water.

When her hand brushes something, she's quick to grab it, whatever it is. A jutting root from one of the huge trees.

She holds herself up, hanging onto it with all the strength she has left. She leans her forehead on the tree to steady herself, shivering, coughing and sputtering.

Lifting her head slowly, she looks around, blinking against the rain. She spots an alcove just behind the tree, as if something was digging there. It's full of muddy water but at least it's solid ground.

Drenched in mud and water, she pulls herself to the nook. Her arms and legs feel rubbery, like they can't hold her up. Utterly exhausted, she wraps her tired arms around her waist, pulling her legs close to curl up in a fetal position. Her shoes are sloshed, igniting the burning sensation the blisters had been causing her.

_"You can outrun a bear now."_

The rain continues on heavily, pattering on her face, stinging her eyes. She pushes the wet, tangled strings of hair away from her face, wincing as a sharp pain zaps through her head. With a trembling hand, she reaches for her temple, feeling the warm blood trickling down the side of her face.

_"That's why you married me."_

It's the straw that broke the camel's back. It has found her. That brokenness and desperation she was pushing away has found her.

_"A perfect wife."_

Shivering, lips trembling, the tears fall down her cheeks, mingling with the rain, carried down the slope along with soil and debris.

The despair that clings to her wracks through her body in the form of fat, hot, heavy, salty tears, each one a reminder that she's losing her husband. She cries for him, unconscious and bleeding in the open, catching pneumonia from the incessant rain.

_"You're my perfect partner."_

She cries for herself, for being unable to keep her promise to him.

_I promise we'll get you home._

She broke her promise. She's never broken her promise to him, nor he her.

After what seems like hours of crying, her tears eventually subside. She looks out over the slope from the nook, the rain obscuring her vision.

Wiping at the tears with her palms does no good because the tears cannot contend with the rain. Her hands are so dirty that her face is now streaked with mud.

She lifts up her throbbing hand, seeing a cut on her palm covered in blood and slime, a cut so deep that she blanches.

She sighs shakily, still in that fetal position as she watches the rain recede to a drizzle. It has washed away the vegetation cover, leaving rocks and roots peeking out from the ground.

A sudden rustling sound makes her sit up. Hit by a wave of fear, her eyes scurry around.

The bushes ahead are shaking, the rain droplets on the leaves falling to the ground, like a dog shaking off water after a bath. But there is no wind or breeze.

After a moment, there's the sound of snapping branches, and the bushes begin to rustle again. Violently.

She's losing it now.

She's on her feet, looking for someplace to hide.

Why tempt death?

Turning to run uphill, she only falls flat on her face, her knee hitting against a stone. She hisses at the pain, and as her palm slaps against the mud, a flick of mud goes into her eye.

The bushes crackle noisily and vigorously, and she turns her head to look back, flicking her eye against the aggressive speck of dirt.

There's something big in those bushes, something big enough to slit her throat or claw her stomach open.

She holds her breath, her heart beating madly with fear as the rustling gets louder.

This is it.

The situation is so insane that it could be considered laughable, except for the fact that she's going to die while her husband is fighting for his life in another part of the forest.

She's going to be gutted by some creature and the only thing they'll find to show she existed will be tatters of her clothes.


	10. Chapter 10

A low, savage growl rumbles from the shrubs.

She's hoping it's a dog. She's hoping that someone's dog was mischievous enough to break loose from its leash and pretty soon, it will jump out of those bushes and lick her face affectionately. And then the owner will walk through the bushes whistling for him. And they'll miraculously have a satellite phone that they can use to call for help. It has to be a dog.

As she watches, another growl ripples through the bushes.

Her body locks when she sees a pair of eyes peering at her, large, greenish-yellow globes looking straight at her.

Wolf. Bear. Jackal. Mountain lion. A beast.

She shrinks back with a cry when a grey and white paw steps out of the bushes.

Is it laughing? Is it smiling? Is it snickering? Is it licking its lips, imagining how crunchy her bones will be? Does it have a thorn in its paw that needs attending? Will it leave her alone if she removes it? Or is this how it ends? Mauled and ripped to shreds by a beast?

Through her silent thoughts, she becomes aware of more sounds coming from the bushes to her right.

Slowly, she turns to look towards the trees, her eyes fixated on the larger bushes. It's a pack of wolves.

A blood-chilling shiver goes through her, her eyes darting right and left, her hands curling into fists, mud squelching between her fingers.

Deathly still, heart pounding a mile a minute, she shuts her eyes tightly, wondering what body part she'll lose first when the wolves attack her.

"Miss?"

Do monsters talk?

Heavy footsteps follow.

"Ma'am? Can you hear me?" the beast asks in a low voice.

She opens her eyes slowly.

That looks like a human being. A Park Ranger.

And then another. And another.

A violin concerto plays around her. Where's the music coming from?

She exhales loudly, her whole body quaking with immeasurable elation and relief.

Her eyes then dart quickly to the left. No growling, no paw.

A few more minutes and she would be dead.

She's so relieved and defeated that she dissolves into soul-cleansing sobs.

They came in the nick of time. It's going to be okay.

The ranger takes long strides towards the crying girl, crouching down to examine her.

"Miss, are you alone?"

She shakes her head.

"M-my husband," she stammers.

"Where is he?"

She lifts a muddy, shaky hand upwards. "He's hurt."

One of the other rangers starts the ascent. She struggles to get up.

"Wait for me," she cries out.

She's trembling, still in tremendous shock from having a near-death experience and the surge of adrenaline after seeing the park rangers.

"Miss, you're hurt."

"I'm fine," she says defiantly through her tears. "I'm not leaving him."

She shrugs his arm off and starts up the trail. When she looks back, sure enough, they are following her.

Knowing that Nathan is going to get help gives her the strength to go up the mountain. She doesn't have the time to care about silly little abrasions. She dips into that strength, following the trail until she spots the branches she'd piled together to show her where he was. The storm didn't carry them away.

Pushing them aside, she stumbles when she sees how pale and motionless he is. His hair is wet, his face is grey and his lips are blue.

Partly blinded by tears, she crawls to him, sinking to her knees and lifting his head to her lap.

"What happened to him?" the ranger asks.

"He fell. There was a rock…"

She sniffles and wipes at her cheeks. Lifting the wet clothes and blanket, she points to the dressing; it's pale pink, a mixture of blood and water.

"Nathan…baby, we'll be fine. You'll be okay. They found us…"

Her frizzing hair forms a curtain around them as she leans over to kiss his lips. Ice-cold.

She hovers her lips over his, kissing him again. Can he feel it?

She stays quiet as the ranger checks Nathan out. He's not moving an inch, his face an alarming shade of grey and his breathing so faint that she can hardly hear it.

A hand on her arm brings reality back into focus.

"We can't carry him down. I'll call for assistance," the ranger says as he takes out a walkie-talkie to radio for help.

"Phoenix, this is Deco. I have a MedEvac request, over."

_"This is Phoenix, send, over."_

She doesn't understand a thing the ranger is saying but it doesn't matter; they're here to help.

_"This is Phoenix, solid copy. Stand-by for inbound MedEvac plan, over."_

"Deco standing-by, over."

The crackling stops and the ranger turns to her. "They're sending a chopper. We need to find someplace else for it to land."

She nods, feeling sheer joy, and fear for Nathan. Are they too late?

"We'll carry your husband. Do you need assistance?"

"No. I can walk."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. We'll get there faster."

He nods, motioning to the other rangers.

"We'll have to head upwards. There's a larger clearing just around the curve," he continues.

Haley grabs their things as the rangers work together to lay Nathan out on a stretcher and wrap an aluminized blanket around him.

Time is of the essence as they make their way through the trees.

Refusing to be assisted, she walks beside the stretcher, her numb hand holding Nathan's equally cold one. She keeps rubbing her thumb along his hand, hoping that the movement will wake him, even for a few seconds. She needs to know that he's going to be alright.

Ducking through the forest, the sun's rays slanting through the trees, the air a mawkish mixture of rain-soaked earth and moisture.

Haley asks the ranger how they found them.

Their permit had not been checked out, he says. And the car in the parking lot was another sign. Campers used the north entrance, not the south.

In the daylight, traipsing through the forest isn't as foreboding as it was last night. They would have found their way back to the right trail if it hadn't been so dark.

"Okay. Put him down."

They lay down the stretcher, and she sits back on her legs beside him. She looks longingly at him, rubbing his hand in both of hers, trying to bring him back to the present.

The sound of the approaching helicopter can be heard from a distance. She laughs through her tears.

"Hear that, baby? Help is here."

Ignoring the pain in her body, she talks to him quietly as the helicopter comes closer.

We have our three-month anniversary coming up.

Who's going to help me with my gym class?

Everyone will be very angry if you decide to follow the light.

What about the mimosas in Miami?

We made it. Now wake up.

The rangers just watch as the girl coaxes her husband to wake up. They applaud her silently for having the guts to leave him behind to get help. Another few hours and he would have died.

The helicopter swoops low to land, its blades stirring up the vegetation and swaying the trees around them.

They strap Nathan to the helicopter's stretcher, and Haley gives him a kiss before she lies down on the other stretcher. Even with the oxygen mask over her face, her heart feels constricted.

She reaches her hand out to clasp his as the chopper lifts off the ground to fly them away from the wilderness, their hands holding in the space between them as they are airlifted home.

* * *

><p>Her body is sore something fierce.<p>

She groans as she stretches out on the bed, her joints cracking with the movement.

Hissing, she opens her eyes slowly. Seeing the plain white ceiling makes her sigh in gratitude.

Anything is better than having to look at another tree. God help her but the next time she's taking a walk in any forested area is a long time coming. That includes the woods at the edge of the park.

She smacks her lips together, thick-tongued, her throat dry as a bone. She turns her head slowly, a water jug and a cup coming into view.

As she slides up the bed inch by inch, she winces softly as her body screams in protest at the movements.

It takes five cups to satiate her thirst.

When she looks out the window, it's nighttime.

She needs to find him. She needs to know if he's okay.

She swings her feet over the bed and onto the tiled floor, a quick jolt going through her body at the coldness of it. Her feet are wrapped in bandages, hiding the torn, raw naked blisters from view. There's no pain, just plenty of soreness.

The source of why her hand is on fire is connected to an IV bag over her head. She's ready to rip it off when a rasping voice resonates through the room.

"What do you think you're doing?"

She turns her head sharply to the doorway, scrambling to form a reply to the question.

"My…my husband. Where is he? I'd like to see him."

The pepper-haired, rosy-cheeked nurse shakes her head as she approaches the bed.

"He's down the hall."

"How—"

"He's fine," she finishes as she reaches for Haley's hand.

"Please take me to him."

The nurse shakes her head again. "You're on a drip."

"I need to see him."

The nurse narrows her eyes at the young girl, seeing the defiance written all over her face.

"You're on a drip, young lady. And on bed rest. You have cuts and grazes all over you, including that deep cut on your hand. You can see him when you're rested—"

"That's not good enough. I want to see him now. I'll drag this…thing if I have to but I want to see my husband. I _need_ to see him. This has been the worst time of my life and I'm not staying away from him for a second longer just because of a silly needle. You can either take me to him or when you're gone, I'll find my way to him myself."

The nurse purses her lips together, admiring the girl's gumption. She hasn't asked about herself but she wants to see her husband.

Oh, to be young and in love. Hopefully, they won't be divorced in a year.

* * *

><p>"Can you tell me what's wrong with him?" Haley asks timidly as the nurse wheels her down the hallway.<p>

"The doctor would be the—"

"Please," she begs.

"They had to perform surgery," the nurse finally says. "His lung had collapsed but the doctors were able to fix it."

"Fix it how?"

She can't help but think of someone wrapping duct tape over a loose table leg to hold it together.

"Doctors typically use sutures because with staples, they would have to go back in and remove them."

She nods affirmatively. "Is he on a ventilator? A tube? Will he be alright?"

"No, honey. He's going to be fine. He's having blood transfusion because of what he lost and he's also on several antibiotics for pneumonia and infection."

She swallows hard. Surgery. Lung collapsed. Pneumonia.

"And his leg?"

"Just a sprain. He'll be good as new in no time," she says as she pats Haley's shoulder.

Haley nods instead of giving out an unearthly shriek. The woman is a nurse. She knows what she's talking about.

"Here we are," she states cheerfully as they roll into the brightly lit room.

To say he looks better would be an injustice. He looks _much_ better. His lips are not blue and his skin is not that gad awful pasty-white-grey.

She gulps. "Is…is he in a coma?"

The nurse guides the wheelchair to the bed. "No. He's just resting."

Haley heaves out a sigh of relief. "What time is it?"

"2AM."

"Thank you," she says gratefully. "For bringing me to him."

"You're welcome. Now don't tell the doctor I told you anything about his progress," the nurse winks as she leaves the room.

Haley lifts herself off the wheelchair, grabbing onto the IV pole to keep herself steady.

Standing at the side of the hospital bed, she reaches for his hand with her bandaged one. It's now as warm as she remembers.

She leans over him to place a soft kiss on his lips. Silky.

There's a small jar of Vaseline on the bedside table.

"Hi, baby."

The absolute relief of seeing him well again turns her stomach with exhilaration. She's grinning like a jack-o'-lantern.

He looks so peaceful, his colouring is back and he's not wheezing.

Like the nurse said, there's a thin tube leading from a bag of rich blood to the back of his hand, another of clear liquid leading to his arm.

As she pulls away the blanket, she grunts in pain. She's aching everywhere, from her shoulders, to her butt, to her hips, to her knees. Another reason why hiking was not her idea of a good time.

She stretches out next to him, pulling the blanket to her waist, and laying her head gently on his firm chest. His heart beats strongly and powerfully. He'll be okay.

"We made it, Nathan. They found us."

Enjoying the warmth of his body next to hers, she watches his chest rise and fall, remembering all that's happened in the last two days. How they spent their time behind the waterfall, Nathan taking care of her sore feet, Nathan falling, Nathan passing out, having to leave him behind, the eyes, the paw, thinking she was going to die…

"Haley."

She lifts her head up so quickly that it connects with his chin.

"Ow," she giggles. "Sorry."

He laughs softly, looking down at her woozily. Her big brown eyes are looking on at him with tenderness.

"Hi," he greets her quietly.

He can breathe without having the urge to claw at his chest.

"Hi."

There's a dull ache where the rock pierced through but he knows it's for the best. It's much better than what he was feeling before.

He lifts the arm free of the IV slowly and she burrows under it.

With a tender kiss to her forehead, he asks, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she snivels. "Are you?"

Her prognosis doesn't really matter right now. If something goes wrong, at least she's in a hospital.

"I'm perfect."

He can't remember everything clearly but he can recall bits of it. Her whispering in his ear saying she had to go, saying she loved him.

"Thank you," he whispers in her hair as he pulls her closer.

"I didn't do anything. They came looking for us."

"And who showed them where I was?"

She doesn't answer. He kisses her temple.

"You led them, baby. That's more than enough."

She would do anything for him. Graze her elbows and knees trying to get him help. Rip out a needle just to see that he's okay.

She lifts up her face. "Any time."

She would do anything for him.

Studying her lovely face, he is at a loss as to how he can express his feelings for her.

"I love you, Haley," he says softly and clearly.

Overcome with a surge of emotions, she can't stop the tears.

"I love you, too," she responds quietly.

He holds her as she cries, telling her over and over again that it will be okay, that he loves her, that he's not going anywhere.

She lifts her pink and damp face when her sobs cease, grateful that they're alive together.

"It's okay, Hales."

She nods, a smile breaking through her tears.

"Have they called anyone?" he asks as he brushes his fingers against her soft cheek.

She actually doesn't know.

"I don't know. I don't think so."

They wouldn't need to; they are each other's next of kin.

He exhales softly. "We can call them later but right now…"

He slides down the bed sideways, so that they can be eye to eye. "Right now I just want you all to myself."

She smiles knowingly.

"I thought I'd lost you," she says gravely.

He touches his forehead to hers. "No way. Together, right?"

"Always," she whispers before their lips meet in a profound, toe-curling kiss.

My perfect partner, they are both certain.

Nathan deepens the kiss, his tongue probing her lips, begging for entrance. She opens her mouth slightly, granting him access, the first contact of their tongues like an electric shock searing through them.

Breaking the kiss, they pull away, faces inches apart. They stare at each other for a long moment, a myriad of emotions flitting across each of their faces.

Desire. Awe. Joy.

And then they smile, simultaneously leaning into each other again.

He teases her with his tongue, moving it in and out of her mouth, making her purr in protest.

"No fair," she breathes as she dances her tongue on his lip.

He smiles, thrusting his tongue within her mouth to meet hers. She lets out a soft gasp but quickly recovers, her tongue tracing the soft inside of his mouth, his running over her teeth.

It's simply magical.

"Fair enough?" he asks her as he pulls at her lower lip.

She squeaks a response. Even on a hospital bed, he knows how to leave her wanting.

He smirks and she can't help but kiss that smirk with desperate need. He's okay.

She sighs dreamily after another lengthy session of hungry after hungry tongue twirl, feeling sensually sleepy, clinging onto him fiercely.

Hair mussed, gowns hanging off loosely, forgetful of the prickly feeling in the backs of their hands. They want to do more, do they want to do more, but they're on a hospital bed, where anyone can walk in on them. There are also needles, bruises and stitches to consider. There's time for exploration later.

"Do your feet hurt?" he asks. He can feel the coarse material on her feet against his skin.

"No. They're just a little tender. My body hurts so bad, honey," she groans.

He chuckles, placing a kiss on her cheek. "It'll get better."

And then he kisses her brow.

"After about a week," he adds.

"A week?"

She sounds horrified, which he finds amusing.

"A week. You'll be begging me to pull you out of bed, and to carry you up and down the stairs."

She gulps. She is seriously thinking of starting to exercise regularly to prevent shocking her body like this ever again.

"How can you carry me when you just had surgery? Maybe we can bribe Lu—"

"Don't even say it. Unless zombies attack me during our escape, he is not carrying you anywhere."

She laughs.

"But he's your brother," she teases.

"And you're my wife."

She always likes hearing him refer to her as his wife.

"If anyone should carry you up and down any stairs, that anyone is me."

"You're so hot when you say things like that," she whispers, running her tongue across his lower lip, tugging it between hers, before stroking his mouth in a slow, gentle kiss.

The way they kiss, the way they always kiss, it's like their lives depend on it. It's heated, it's powerful and it's out of control.

"You owe me a story," he skims his own over the corner of her mouth, teasing her all over again.

And he owes her a star.

She bites back a whimper. "A story?"

"Yeah. Your first kiss."

* * *

><p><strong>*End*<strong>


End file.
